Folding rack.



. F'. L. HEREIN.

FOLDING BAOK.

AHLICATIOK rum SEPT. 25, mos.

Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

HERBrN', of L and State of Massachusetts, have invented.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERIC LEON HERBIN, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ON'E H'ALF TO THOMAS J. GALLIVAN, OF LYNN,.MASSACHUSETTSI I Specification'of Letters'Patent. Patented Dec. 2 95 1908;

Application filed September 25, 1908. Serial No. 454,771.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERIG LEON in the county of Essex certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Racks, of which the following is a specification. s

This invention relates toracks, such as are used for supporting boots and shoes in factories during difierent stages of the process of manufacture, although my invention "hereinafter described may be embodied in racks for other urposes, such as sup orting garments an other articles whi e they are being dried.

The invention has for its, object to rovide a rack having a plurality'of she ves or rack members ada ted to be folded into compact compass so t at anumber of racks may be stored in a relatively small space when not in use, and tobe readily extended and the members thereof securely supported in their operative position.

The invention consists in the improve-.

ments which and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,-Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a rack embodying my invention, the rack being shown in its operative position. Fig. 2 represents'an end elevation of the same, the rack being folded. Fig. 3 represents a transverse section through a portion of the rack.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all figures.

In the drawings, 12, 12 represent a pair of vertical supporting standards which rise from supporting feet 13.

16, 16 represent a series of frame rods rigidly inserted at their ends in sockets I will now proceed to describe formed for their reception in the standards 12, said rods extending across the space between the standards and rigidly 0011-.

necting the latter, the standards, feet and frame rods constituting a rigid frame. The frame rods also serve as supports for the rack members hereinafter described, and as partitions between the supporting ortions of the rack members. Each of t e said rack members includes two end bars 17, 17 mounted to oscillate upon one of the frame rods 16, and twosseries of rack rods 18 inserted at their ends in sockets formed for their reception in the end bars 17, one

engaged from the feet 13 and swung series being" arranged. at one side, and the otldierat the opposlte side of the fixed: frame 1'0 16'.-

19, 19 represent continuouslegs which are jointed to the ends of the crossbars 17 at one side of the supporting standards, and are extended belowthe-cross bars of the lower rack member far enough to bear upon the sup orting feet 13 when therack members are orizontally arranged in their operative position, as shown in- Fig. 1:. p

20, 20 represent the upper members of sectional legs, said members being joint-ed to the ends of the cross bars 17 opposite the ends to which the legs 19 are jointed. 21, 21 represent the lower members of the said sectional legs, said lower members being 'ointed to the lower ends of the uppermemers 20 and to the cross bars 17 of' the lower rack member, and adapted to extend downwardly and bear u onthe feet 13, as shown in Fi 1, the sald feet being prefmembers 21.

It will be seen that when the rack is adjusted in its operative position, shown in Fig. I

1, the rack members are rigidly supported at both sides of the standards '12 by the con tinuous legs 19, and the sectional legs composed of the members 20 and 21. When it is desired to fold the rack, as shown in Fig. 2, the lower ends of the leg members 21 are disu wardly beside the upper members 20, thiis leaving the ends of the rack members at one side of the standard 12 unsupported. These unsupported ends are therefore free to swing downwardly, the opposite ends and the legs 19 being correspondingly raised until the legs 19 come to a bearing on one side of the standards 12, and the leg members 20 and 21 come to a bearing on the opposite side of said standards, the rack members being inclined and bearing against each other, so that they occupy a space of considerably less width than when they are horizontally arranged.

It will be seen that a number of racks folded, as in Fig. 2, ma be packed in a relatively close compass, t e feet 13 of the several racks being adapted to overlap each other because the space between the feet is unobstructed, the necessary rigid connections between the standards 12 being prosupporting1 vided by the fixed frame rods 16 which are located above the feet. The frame rods 16 are located above the inner rack rods 18 so that they constitute stops or partitions at the central portions of the rackimemhers adapted to revent shoes deposited. on one series of rac rods 18 from projecting over onto'theother series. Each rack, therefore, has two supporting portions which are separated by a frame rod 16, The inner rack rods 18 are lower than the outer rack rods so that each portion is transversely inclined and is big est at its outer edge. Each horizontal frame rod 16 rigidly attached to the vertical standards 12 and constituting a part of the rigid frame, serves also two other functions; that is to say, it not only constitutes a support on which a rack member composed of two cross bars 17 and the rack members 18 attached thereto is adapted to oscillate, but it also constitutes an adjunct of the said rack member, by reason of the fact that it supports the inner ends of the articles dep osited on the rack rods 18, as indicated in claim:

1. A folding rack comprising a rigid frame composed of a pair of vertical standards, rigidly attached supporting feet projecting from opposite sides of the standards and separated from each other by an unobstructed space, and a vertical series of horizontal frame rods rigidly attached at their ends to said standards and extending across the space between the latter, rack members composed of cross bars mounted in pairs on said frame rods and-free to oscillate thereon, and rack rods attached to said cross bars and extending parallel with the frame rods, each frame rod constituting not only a frame member, but also a support on which a rack member is adapted to oscillate, and an adjunct of the said rack member, the series of rack members being adapted to be inclined to reduce the rack to compact form, and means for rigidly supporting said members in their operative osition.

2. A folding rac comprising a pair of vertical standards rigidly attached, having supporting feet projecting from opposite sides aoaooo of the standards and separated from each other b an unobstructed space, a vertical series 0 frame rods rigidly attached at their ends to said standards and extending across the space between the latter, cross bars mounted in pairs on said connecting bars and free to oscillate thereon, and horizontal rack rods attached to said cross bars and extending parallel with the frame rods, each air of cross bars and the two series of me rods connected therewith constituting a rack member, adapted to be inclined to reduce the rack to compact form, each frame rod constituting not only a frame member, but also a support on which a rack member is adapted to oscillate, and an adjunct of the said rack member, continuous legs jointed to the ends of the cross bars at one side of the supporting standards, and adapted to bear on the standard feet, and sectional legs jointed to the ends of the cross bars at the opposite side of the standards and also adapted to bear on the standard feet, the lower members of the sectional legs being displaceable to permit the swinging of the members to their inclined position.

3. A. folding rack com rising a pair of vertical standards, a vertica series of frame rods rigidly attached at their ends to said standards and extending across the space between the latter, said standards and rods bein members of a rigid supporting frame, and rack members composed of cross bars mounted in pairs on said frame rods and free to oscillate thereon, and rack rods attached to 

